Final answer:
Jim Crow laws fortified and perpetuated racial discrimination through legal segregation and inferior facilities for African Americans. The Plessy v. Ferguson decision established the "separate but equal" principle, further cementing segregation. Discriminatory voting laws disenfranchised African Americans and segregation existed in both the South and the North.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jim Crow laws were a system of legal segregation that fortified and perpetuated racial discrimination in the United States. These laws required the separation of races in all aspects of life, including schools, public buildings, transportation, and more. African Americans were often provided inferior facilities, reinforcing their subordination in society. The United States Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, which established the principle of "separate but equal," further solidified the policy of segregation.
Additionally, other laws and regulations, such as blood rules and blood quantum rules, categorized people into racial groups, perpetuating racial discrimination. African Americans were also effectively disenfranchised through discriminatory voting laws and practices, preventing them from fully participating in the political process. Segregation not only existed in the South but also in the North, as de facto segregation continued even as de jure segregation ended.